The TAB is barred from offering online casino gambling under current New Zealand laws.
New Zealand.- It’s been reported that TAB NZ urged the New Zealand government to change the law to allow it to apply for one of New Zealand’s upcoming online casino licences. RNZ reports that it offered to pay NZ$150m (US$87.2m) for one of 15 licences.
The TAB is currently prohibited from offering online casino gambling because it is a statutory body. RNZ reported that the government rejected its call for a change in the law.
Minister of internal affairs Brooke van Velden reportedly said: “I don’t believe that the government should be involved in casino gambling. I look at the government trying to address the core services that people need in their lives and providing an online service for casino games is not what I think the government should be involved in.”
Racing minister Winston Peters also said he was against any change in law, but the TAB told the RNZ that it would continue to push for the legislation to be reviewed. It argues that New Zealanders aged 18 to 35 are currently choosing overseas operators more often than the TAB.
However, an Internal Affairs briefing written last March warned that giving an online monopoly to the TAB could be questioned due to the state company’s relationship with London-listed Entain, which has a 25-year deal to run TAB operations, since it would mean profits going abroad. It also mentioned compliance concerns with Entain in Australia.
The licensing system for online casinos in New Zealand is expected to be operational by early 2026. The minimum age for online gambling will be 18, and licensees will be able to offer casino games only, not sports betting or lottery products.
